Static electricity may seem simple. Students often learn that rubbing a balloon against their hair will cause negatively ...

Seemingly random charging of identical materials depends on the carbonaceous molecules stuck to their surfaces ...

A team of physicists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria has now identified what breaks that symmetry: a thin, ...

A microscopic layer of environmental carbon solves a long-standing mystery about static electricity's true origins.

There’s a shocking lack of understanding of the physics underlying this commonplace phenomenon, but researchers are on the ...

The familiar phenomenon has puzzled researchers for centuries, but experiments are finally making sense of its unruly behaviours.

If you’ve ever felt a shock after rubbing your hair with a balloon or shuffling across a carpet, you’ll know that static electricity can be a real pain. But for the scientists who study it, the pain ...

CASCADE, Mich. — Looking for a fun activity to do at home with your kids? This science experiment is fun for all ages and teaches static electricity during the wintertime! Meteorologist Isabella ...

Scientists at Northwestern University may have figured out why walking on carpet in your socks, petting your furry friend, or rubbing a balloon on your hair creates static electricity. In a new study, ...

MINNEAPOLIS — When someone touches something and gets shocked, it's awkward and a bit painful. What causes static electricity ...

Could detecting static electricity be a factor in explaining why treehopper insects have evolved such bizarre body shapes? That is the hypothesis put forward in a new research paper published in ...